Posted by Aymenn Al-Tamimi on Sunday, December 22nd, 2013

By Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi

So far I have identified two ex-Guantánamo detainees of Moroccan origin fighting in Syria under the banner of Harakat Sham al-Islam: namely, Abu Hamza al-Maghrebi (Mohammed al-‘Alami) and Abu Ahmad al-Muhajir (Ibrahim bin Shakaran). The latter is the leader of Harakat Sham al-Islam: a Moroccan-led mujahideen group operating primarily in Latakia and Aleppo governorates. The group recently played a role in the capture of al-Kindi hospital from regime forces alongside Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic Front.
Figure 1: Ibrahim bin Shakaran engages in outreach to children in Latakia village of Kafr Najah.

Now I have identified another Moroccan ex-Guantanamo detainee: Mohammed Mizouz, going under the alias of Abu al-Izz al-Muhajir. He appeared only many hours ago in a video where he makes a speech on the necessity for the unity of the mujahideen, appearing alongside fighters from both Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham and Jabhat al-Nusra in Latakia.Figure 2: Screenshot of video of Abu al-Izz al-Muhajir’s speech. He is in the center under the Harakat Sham al-Islam flag with the Qur’an directly in front of him.

Besides being informed of the identity of Abu al-Izz al-Muhajir with Mohammed Mizouz by a Moroccan jihadi supporter, one should also note that we have other attestations to his appearance. Indeed, the identity is unmistakable.Figure 3: Video of Mohammed Mizouz in March 2012 in Rabat, Morocco.

You can read more about Mohammed Mizouz here. Originally from Casablanca, he was transferred to Morocco after being released from Guantánamo on no charges.

Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi is a Shillman-Ginsburg Fellow at the Middle East Forum and a student at Brasenose College, Oxford University. His website is http://www.aymennjawad.org. Email: aaj892@hotmail.com. Twitter: @ajaltamimi

Comments (91)

An extremely worried shabeeha delegation rushed to Damascus for an urgent meeting with Assad. They left the capital reassured that steroid stockpiles were not part of the UN chemical weapons destruction process.

51. UZAIR8
Why do not you talk about the huge inventory of the various weapons of mass destruction owned by the State of Israel in the Middle East? Do you have a satisfying answer? I think that Mordechai Vanunu is more brave than you, without a doubt!!!

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Get out of the predicament gives the experience, expertise and the intensity of valor!

The Russian-Saudi Showdown at Sochihttp://consortiumnews.com/2013/12/31/the-russian-saudi-showdown-at-sochi/
……… / Putin warned Saudi Arabia of potentially severe consequences – suggesting military retaliation – if Bandar’s implied warning was followed up by actual terrorist attacks like the ones in Volvograd on Monday, killing more than 30 people./…
V.V.Putin : it is time for red card publication. Terrorism can be buried in his hometown.

Very grim indeed. The best description is that of the DRC in Congo and its long civil war.

It is also clear that the regime is now acting fully as just another warlord and that the infighting is happening in both sides with difficulties between the regime and its supporters.

It is also clear that the war has now reached Lebanon and its Iraqisation is slowly evolving. As the traditional politicians end up unable to provide solutions the radicals take over just as the Mufti of Lebanon was heckled severely at the funeral of the young man killed at the Khashogi mosque and slogans for the election of Assir as Mufti were called in his presence; we have the extremist HA with its militant leader saying that its policies are essential for its existence and that at the expense of Lebanon if need be. Once again destroy the country to save the party; something the Baath did in both Syria and Iraq.

It is high time to stop banning on this blog it has become stale and to change the rules so that posts are not cut and paste but substantive arguments But it is essential to let everyone say whatever they want to say.

Israel, Wahhabi militants and the GCC sheikhs are the real axis of evil. Majed almajed of KSA may provide evidence of deeper involvement of “the guided kingdom” in terrorism. I am afraid KSA ruling mafia will try to kill him or buy his release. On paper he is wanted by the Saudi police, in reality he is part of the ruling establishment in Sandy Arabia.
This is from The Telegraph:

Al-Qaeda leader held in Lebanon ‘raised funds for anti-Assad militants':

Muhammad al-Majid, whose Abdullah Azzam Brigades claimed a double suicide attack on the Iranian embassy in Beirut last year, is believed to have been a key fundraiser for militants in Syria.

After over a year of anti-Assad hype, lies, fiction peddled as truth, false flag events, manipulation of facts and photographic evidence, the west has gone suddenly silent on Syria. What is going on, and who or what is the west supporting? Those playing soccer with the heads of their victims?
….
who is responsible for these atrocities and upon what authority do the western powers, together with Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar, intervene? Saddam al-Jamal, dead of the Eastern Front of the Free Syrian Army, has claimed that FSA representatives meet regularly with their peers from Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the USA, along with the Saudi Deputy Defence Minister Salman bin Sultan. Al-Jamal claims that a huge amount of money has been delivered to Syrian opposition forces by Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United States of America.

It was said previously, that the Syrian ground is nothing but a theater to collect all the terrorists from all over; perferrably the western world and also from eastern side and have them innhiliated in Syria.
Putin vows to do that in Russia! The USA is doing this on the Syrian ground, the only sad part that there are innocent people who are being the collectible damage and sometime the scape goat.
I am not against Obama having all this terrorists speeding up their journey to meet whores in the heaven but I am disgusted with the innocent people living situation.

I hope that the international community, led by the Russian Federation in the Security Council to fulfill its obligations as a guarantor of peace in the world. to investigate a list of encourager, sponsor, trainer and exporter the terrorism in the region especially after that the terrorism has become a series of foreign policy of some countries in the Middle East

In any case, the opposition’s/Saudists’s biggest problem in this conflict has been their own hubris and underestimating their enemies (as exemplified by the pompous propaganda by Syrialover and others, that never reflect facts on the ground).

That will be their downfall, no amount of dirty money and badly trained Salafists will change this.

I was reading a Salafi type forum yesterday and saw a lot of criticism and tough questions (theological, ideological etc) thrown at ISIS.

The one or two who tried to argue on behalf of ISIS really struggled.

Today the discussion has continued and it’s not looking good for ISIS.

People have questioned how the hell are they a ‘state’?

Also asking how they can proclaim a state without local consent?

Who gave them authority?

Their torture and killing of a rebel leader has been siezed on and ISIS defenders are struggling to make any defence.

It seems other rebel factions and protests are targeting ISIS and this could be the beginning of the end for them. I hope so anyway. Even heard they destroyed a Sufi shrine the other day.

The latest post on that forum from a user called Layth, who I believe is a moderator or admin says this (his previous comments in the recent discussion were pointing out how one ISIS critic talked most sense):

People are revolting against them. It seems that they have learned nothing from the past ten years, Allahul musta’aan.

I posted a piece on Majed Almajed the Saudi terrorist who was captured in Lebanon and was the head of a terrorist group that was involved in terror acts in Lebanon and Syria and I was worried that KSA may buy his release or even get him killed, and now this:
افادت الوكالة الوطنية للاعلام بانزعيم كتائب عبد الله العزام الارهابي ماجد الماجد قد توفي منذ بعض الوقت، اثر تدهور حالته الصحية، بعدما تم القبض عليه منذ ايام من قبل مخابرات الجيش اللبناني.
كما اكد مفوض الحكومة لدى المحكمة العسكرية القاضي صقر صقر ان زعيم عبد الله عزام ماجد الماجد توفي اليوم اثر تدهور حالته الصحية .
clearly, majed knew too much and he had to die.
On a positive note, Barzeh may now be ready to follow Muaddamiyyeh’s steps after rebels agreed to give their weapons in return for amnesty, I hope to hear good news that will give the good people of Barzeh a break in a day or two.
Alan,
on your question about the SNC’s decision not to attend Geneva2, we need to remember that the SNC was never an independent national body, it is an extension of the MB which has decided to use violence in Syria, Egypt, Libya and other countries, those thugs do not have the word “compromise” in their dictionary.

Galloway, who once described President Assad’s regime as “the last bastion of Arab dignity”, has started presenting a fortnightly show, A Free Word, for the Beirut-based broadcaster al-Mayadeen.

According to the Register of Members’ Interests, Galloway will earn £3,000 an episode – or a yearly income of £78,000 – on top of his MP’s salary. The TV station will also cover the cost of regular trips to Lebanon to pre-record the programme.

Syrian opposition groups attacked one another on both the battlefield and social media as a seething animosity that had been building for months burst wide open, further complicating the nearly three-year war to unseat the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The conflict between rebels like the Islamic Front, a recent coalition of seven rebel groups, and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a more hard-line Al Qaeda affiliate, has escalated this week after the torture and death of a rebel Syrian doctor near Aleppo.
And the opposition groups are blaming the ISIS for his death.

83-GHUFRAN
Are those thugs do not have the word “compromise” in their dictionary?

Obama administration has six “Brothers” , who managed two years to change U.S. policy and transform America ” in the largest and most important sponsor,” the Muslim Brotherhood ” .”
The administration work following representatives ” Muslim Brotherhood ” :

Arif Alikhan , Assistant Secretary of U.S. Homeland Security . Alikhan – one of the founders of the Islamic World , which the magazine called ” subsidiary ” Brotherhood ” .” Alikhan allegedly responsible for the ” Arab direction ” in the administration and the direct contact between the U.S. and the ” Arab Spring .”

Elibiari Mohammed , a member of the Advisory Council on National Security . Eliabari – known admirer of the founder of modern Muslim fundamentalist Sayyid Qutb , hanged by the Egyptians in 1966. The magazine claims that Eliabari ” merges ” secret database of the Ministry of National Security Islamists. Eliabari too – one of the creators of Counter-Terrorism Strategy Obama. Eliabari allegedly wrote that Obama’s speech , in which the U.S. president demanded the resignation of Hosni Mubarak.

Rashid Hussain, U.S. Special Envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference . He has extensive ties with Muslim fundamentalist organizations in the United States . It is known that he participated in the American Muslim Council , who led a convicted terrorist financing Abdulrahman Alamoudi .

Salam al- Marayati , founder of the Muslim Council of Public Relations (MPAK). Al- Marayati – one of the most influential American Muslims . According to the magazine , it is closely connected with the ” Muslim Brotherhood .”

Imam Mohamed Magid , head of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). ISNA established members of the ” Brotherhood ” . In 2011, Obama appointed Majid Ministry of National Security Adviser . He also alleged the FBI and is an advisor to the State Department.

Eboo Patel , a member of the Presidential Council of Religious Cooperation. Patel – each Hani Ramadan , grandson of the founder of the ” Brotherhood ” Hassan al – Bana and a member of the Association of Muslim students that magazine calls ” large organization ” Brotherhood ” .”

The first reports in the Arab press that the U.S. and Islamists agreed , appeared in November 2011. More information can be found in the article ” Frankfurt Pact .”